Corn-on-the-cob butterers



March 7, A1967 H. sTocKER CORN-ON-THE-COB BUTTERERS Filed Jan. 27, 1964 Inventor:

United States Patent O 3,308,269 CGRN-ON-THE-CGB BUTTERERS Hans Stocker, 524 Grosvenor Place, Chicago Heights, Ill. 60411 Filed `lan. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 340,238 1 Claim. (Cl. 219-436) This invention relates to improvements in corn-on-thecob butterers, that is, devices for readily buttering the cooked corn-on-the-cob. T-he present device is so designed and constructed that the entire surface of the cob of corn rnay be quicklybuttered, evenly, and with a minimum amount of butter consistent with the wish or taste of the user of the device. The buttering operation is performed while the cob of cooked corn is still hot to produce the best results; but the use of the device is not limited to the buttering of hot cobs of corn since provision is made `for performing the buttering operation by the use of melted butter, as will presently appear.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a unit in the form of an open top tray having its end walls provided with open top sockets into which the conventional corn-cob prongs which are pierced into the ends of the core of the cob, may be set to support the corn-cob during the buttering operation. Such prong units are conventionally provided with short outwardly extending stems, with a convenient hand grip on the outer end of the stern. The prong unit is thus a convenient unit to hold each end of the cob during the buttering operation, and afterwards, during the eating of the kernels. Accordingly, t-he stems of such prong units may be seated into such end Wall sockets to support the cob in a slightly tilted position, when the buttering unit is seated on a horizontal sur-face, such as a table or horizontally held tray. In some cases, the present unit may be so constructed that the corn-cob will be supported with its core horizontal when the stems of the prong units are seated into the end wall sockets, assuming that the butterer is supported on a horizontal surface such as a table or shelf. Such a modified embodiment of my present invention is illustrated and will be described hereinafter.

Since the corn-cobs are of tapering size with corresponding larger diameter at one end than at the other end, it is evident that when the axis of the core of the cob is supported horizontally, the larger diameter portions of the cob will set down deeper into the melted 'butter contained in the butterer tray, than the smaller diameter portions of the cob. An important object of the present invention is to provide a butterer of such construction that a substantially even buttering operation will be produced over the entire surface o-f the cob, by merely rotating such cob while the stems o-f the prongs are seated into the end Wall sockets. This objective is attained by so supporting the cob during its rotation that all portions of its surface are subjected to substantially the same depth of immersion below the surface of the belted butter, during a complete rotation of the cob. This objective is attained by making the socket in one end Wall shallower t-han that at the other end wall. Thereby, when the stems of the two prong units are seated fully into the end wall sockets, with the larger diameter end of the cob adjacent to that socket which is shallower (with its bottom at a higher elevation than the other socket), the axis of the cob will be tilted with the larger diameter portion of such axis journalled higher than the smaller 3,308,269 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ICC diameter portion. Under these conditions it is evident that, by properly proportioning the depths of the two sockets, the immersion of all portions of the corn-cob will be substantially to the same depth in the butter. This will promote a uniform buttering action over the entire surface of the tapered corn-cob.

In order to enable the use of melted butter the needed heating of the butter may be produced by exterior heating, as by melting on a stove; but even so, when such melted butter is poured into the butterer a rapid cooling of the lbutter will occur with corresponding solidication thereof, so that the intended buttering operations cannot be produced. Accordingly, as a further objective of my present invention I contemplate either the forming of the butterer unit of material which may be heated by exterior heat source, such as setting the unit of a heating unit; or the desired heating of the butterer may be produced by an electrical heating unit properly related to the oor of the open top butterer tray. Such heating unit may comprise a resistance heating unit embedded into the floor of the tray as illustrated hereinafter. Proper heat insulation is provided below such heating element to avoid damage to the surface of the table or other element on which the butterer is placed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a butterer of such contour as to enable excellent buttering operation with use of a minimum amount of melted butter in the tray. This result is attained by rounding the oor of the tray to conform generally to the cylindrical shape of the corn-cob; the so-rounded iloor being as such distance below the axis of the corn-cob as to accommodate a sufficient volume of the melted butter to take care of the buttering needs of a number of corn-cobs. Additional butter -may then be supplied to the unit from time to time as needed.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

FIGURE l shows a top or plan view of a unit embodying the features of my present invention, no corn-cob being shown in place in this figure;

FIGURE 2 shows a side elevation of the unit shown in FIGURE 1, but with a corn-cob seated intro the butterer; such corn-cob having applied to it the conventional prong units at each end of the cob; such units serving as journals seated into the sockets, so that such prong units serve the dual purposes of journalling the corn-cob to permit ready rotation thereof, and also providing convenient han-d grips by which the corn-cob may be handled in conventional manner, and by which hand grips the cob may be conveniently rotated to produce the buttering operation; the sockets being oi such relative depths that the corn-cob thus journalled is tilted with respect to the horizontal, an amount to ensure substantially uniform immersi-on of the full length of the cob notwithstanding the varying diameter of the cob;

FIGURE 3 shows `a cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURES 2 and 4, looking in the directions of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 shows a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the unit of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3; being sectional view taken on the lines 4 4 of FIGURES 1 land 3, looking in the directions of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 shows a longitudinal vertical sectional view through another embodiment in which the sockets in the end walls of the tray are of equal depth so that the axis of the corn-cob journalled such sockets is horizontal or parallel to the botto-m surface of the unit.

Referring to the drawing, the tray is provided with the side Walls 11 and 12 and the end portions 13 and 14 which extend up from the floor 15. Preferably such floor is rounded with its top surface concave upwardly. Such surface thus is of substantially semi-cylin-drical contour, with the axis of such semicylindrical surface generally co-axial with the axis of the corn-cob when the latter is supported in journalling fashion, presently to be explained more fully. Examination of FIGURE 3 in particular, shows that the end walls are carried down to a location slightly lower than the bottom face of the semicylindrical floor, to thus provide bottom edges which are set onto the table or other support for the device when in use.

The end Walls 13 and 14 are provided with sockets 16 and 17, respectively. These extend down far enough to receive and act :as journals for the stems of the prong units 18 an-d 19, respectively; such prong units being of conventional form, and provided with the stems 20 termintaing in knurled knobs 21 by which they may be conveniently rotated, and Iprovided with the prong teeth 22 which lare forced into the ends of the core of the corn-cob in conventional manner.

The corn-cob 23 is shown in outline. It is larger in diameter at its left-hand end than :at its right-hand end. The socket 17 is deeper than the socket 16 by an amount substantially the same as the dilference between the radii of the two ends of the corn-cob, so that the lower surface Iof the cob is brought into a substantially horizontal position when the unit or device is set onto a horizontal surface. The desirability of this relation between the parts will become apparent hereinafter.

The melted butter (melted either before being supplied to the device, or melted afterwards when the device is self-heated, as by electrical resistance units) will be of amount suiiicient to fill the tray up to a level such as shown by the line 24 in vario-us iigures. Examination of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 will show that such surface line 24 is below the lower journalling end of the right-hand socket 17 (and therefore below the lower end of the left-hand journalling socket, also), so that the melted butter will not be lost by out-flow through either of such sockets; it being also noted that this condition obtains when the corn-cob has been set into journalling position wth corresponding displacement of some of the melted butter, and rise of the surface level 24. With the corn-cob set into journalling position, it may be readily rotated by use of either or both of the knobs 21, so :as to bring all portions of the corn-cob into wetting engagement with the melted butter. Due to the fact that the :axis of the corncob is tilted upwardly at its left-hand end, it is evident that a substantially uniform degree of the buttering action will be afforded to all portions of the corn-cob surface, notwithstanding the varying diameter of such cob.

Since the iloor of the tray is of generally semi-cylindrical form, and of diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the corn-cob, it is evident that the desired buttering operation may be performed with use of a minimum amount of the melted butter within the tray. It is also evident that additional butter may be introduced into the tray from time to time as needed to compensate for the butter removed from the tray by adherence to the successive corn-cobs as they are buttered.

If desired an electrical resistance heating unit may be included in proper relation to the floor of the tray, to keep the device at the temperature needed to maintain the butter in melted condition. By way of example, such a heating unit is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, comprising the back and forth tangents of a heating wire 25 embedded into the material of the floor 15. The terminals of such heating unit are shown at 26 in various figures; and a thermostat element 27 may also be embedded into or set onto the iloor for thermal response at a selected temperature, and -connected to a conventional switching element to maintain the butter at proper temperature; such thermostat responding directly to the temperature of the melted butter, such thermostat being connected into the heating circuit in conventional manner.

The tray unit thus described may be formed of any material which is suitable for use at the temperatures to which the unit must be raised. Thus, the unit may be formed of plastic, in which case the heating element may be readily embedded into the floor during the molding operations. Or, the tray unit may be formed of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, pressed into proper form, or cast. Such a metallic unit can then be set onto a stove or other heat supply in place of the provision of the electric heating unit, or supplemental thereto. In this latter case (metal unit) it may be brought up to proper temperature by setting the unit on a st-ove prior to use; and when use of the unit is desired, it may then be set onto the t-able and the electrical heating element activated to maintain the temperature of the butter at proper degree during the use of the unit, however extensive that use may be.

In order to protect the surface of the table or other article on which the device is used, from damage due to the heated floor of the butterer, I have shown the layer of heat-insulating material 2S on the outside surface of the floor (see FIGURES 3 and 2, 4 and 5). Such heatinsulating layer may comprise a sheet of asbestos, or of f-orm foam material, or other suitable material.

In FIGURE 5 I have shown `a longitudinal sectional view through an alternative embodiment of my invention. In this case the sockets 16a and 17a have their lower ends located within a line parallel to the bott-om surface 29 of the device, so that when the device is set onto the supporting surface, such as a table, the laxis of the corncob will be horizontal instead of slanting, as in the previously described embodiment. Then, I have formed the surface 3d of the floor of the tray on a slant substantially corresponding to the external surface of the corn-cob, so that the space between the surface of the cob and the surface of the iloor, will be substantially constant throughout the length of the cob. It is to be noted, however, that when using this alternative embodiment the larger diameter portions of the corn-cob will be immersed to la greater extent than the smaller diameter portions of such cob, as evident from examination of FIGURE 5.

It is noted that the device herein disclosed is such that when a buttering operation or series of such operations, has been completed, the device, with its contained melted butter may be set into the refrigerator Without need of removing the unused butter; since such unused butter will soon congeal after the device is set into the refrigerator. At a later time the device, With its included congealed butter, may be removed from the refrigerator and brought to proper raised temperature, for re-use of the re-melted butter. Thus a substantial saving in the amount of butter used during a number of use operations, may be obtained.

It is also noted that such a re-use operation will be proper y from the standpoint of cleanliness and hygenics, since the congealed butter will not be brought into contact with external objects, and the freezing or congealing of the unused butter lwill occur promptly after yplacing the device into the refrigerator.

I claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a eorn-cob-butterer the ends of a corn-cob which is of the contour above dened, one of said sockets having its oor `at greater distance from the oor of the butterer than the Hoor of the other socket; the floor of the tray unit being concave upwardly on a substantially semi-circular surface wherein said tray unit -comprises heat resisting material constituted to withstand temperatures substantially las high as the melting temperature of butter-like material; together with an electric heating element embedded into the floor of the tray unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,399 7/1901 Conli'u 219-521 Hadway 219-436 Cresswell 11S-e428 Rosendahl 220-1 Cook lOl-216 RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner.

10 ANTHONY BARTIS, Examiner.

V. Y. MAYEWSKY, Assistant Examiner. 

